The leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Montenegro, will embark on an unconventional campaign for the upcoming local elections starting next Tuesday. This campaign does not follow a typical model, according to social-democratic sources.
This week, Montenegro, who assumes the role of prime minister during the bi-weekly parliamentary debates, has engaged in municipal activities in the Oeste area of the Lisbon district, visiting Torres Vedras and Lisbon.
On Friday, he will attend two events in Coimbra and Esposende, located in the Braga district, while Saturday will see him involved in four different engagements across the districts of Aveiro, Coimbra, and Viseu.
On Sunday, however, Montenegro will not be participating in the PSD’s municipal tour. The day’s activities will be led by MEP Sebastião Bugalho at a luncheon in Águeda and Secretary-General Hugo Soares, who will introduce the candidate for the Lamego Municipal Council.
Montenegro’s absence will continue on other days during the official campaign period, as he is scheduled to travel to Copenhagen on October 1 and 2 for an informal European Council meeting.
For the forthcoming local elections, the PSD will not field candidates in five of the nation’s 308 municipalities, namely Aljustrel, Barrancos, Monforte, Velas, and Corvo. In about half of the remaining municipalities, the PSD is forming coalitions with other parties, notably with Liberal Initiative (IL), without any pre-election coalition with Chega.
According to updated information from the PSD’s municipal coordinator, Pedro Alves, the party will run independently in 137 municipalities while forming over 150 coalitions. Of these, 113 are exclusively with the CDS, two of which are under CDS leadership, and six solely include the IL. There are 16 coalitions involving all three parties and 18 that include other parties such as MPT or PPM.
The PSD is also supporting 11 independent candidates. Among these are former PSD minister Isaltino Morais from Oeiras and former CDU mayor Maria das Dores Meira from Setúbal, the latter against local organizational preferences. Others include candidates in Marinha Grande and Idanha-a-Nova. In Figueira da Foz, former PSD president and now independent Pedro Santana Lopes will lead a PSD/CDS-PP list.
The party is fielding 48 female candidates for mayoral positions, accounting for about 15% of the total. Nineteen current mayors cannot seek re-election due to term limits, a number that has more than halved since their initial election four years ago, as many have since passed the torch to potential successors.
Notable exits include the mayors of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras; Braga, Ricardo Rio; and Aveiro, Ribau Esteves.
Seven PSD candidates for mayoral positions are current MPs who must resign from their parliamentary roles if successful. These candidates include Cristóvão Norte (Faro), Emídio Guerreiro (Gondomar), Hugo Oliveira (Caldas da Rainha), Gonçalo Valente (Ourique), Ricardo Araújo (Guimarães), Sofia Carreira (Leiria), and Sónia dos Reis (Grândola).
Montenegro’s strategic motion for October 12 aims to reclaim leadership of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) and the National Association of Parishes (Anafre). This requires altering the current power dynamic with the Socialist Party (PS), which currently leads more than 35 municipalities compared to the PSD.
Under Pedro Passos Coelho’s leadership during the 2013 and 2017 local elections, the PSD experienced its worst performances, winning control of 106 and 98 councils, respectively. However, this trend was reversed in 2021 under Rui Rio’s leadership when the PSD secured 114 municipalities, winning 72 independently and 42 in coalition. The party then regained control of Lisbon, Coimbra, Portalegre, and Funchal, narrowing the gap with the socialists from 63 to 35 councils.
